A night at Narcissus Hut, Lake St Clair

Friday August 25, 2017

Narcissus Hut is the last hut on Tasmania’s Overland Track. Most walkers stay the last night at Windy Ridge, however, and use Narcissus Hut as a shelter in inclement weather when waiting for the ferry ride back to Cynthia Bay.

Mt Olympus and the Overland Track. Once you reach this section of boardwalk you really are on the home stretch to Narcissus Hut!

On my last trip down the Overland Track in May, I stayed one night at Narcissus Hut, with the aim of capturing a nice sunset and/or sunrise over the lake, and perhaps even a shot of the stars above Mt Olympus.

Sunset on Mt Olympus from Narcissus

The evening session really was quite nice, with a brief bit of fire in the sky at sunset. The morning shoot came with a fairly thick mist, but Mt Olympus could be seen from time to time as the most came and went.

Mt Olympus through the morning mist from Narcissus.

Mt Olympus through the morning mist from Narcissus.

The night shoot too was a mixed success, with a fair bit of cloud away. Although a classic starry night wasn’t possible, I have to admit that the cloud patterns and the little bit of moonlight in fact made for some nice images in a way I hadn’t been expecting.

A cloudy and moonlit night shoot from Narcissus Bay. Possibly not the shot I was aiming for before setting out but nice in its own way. A 20 minute exposure at ISO 100.

If you have the luxury of time, a night at Narcissus Hut is a great way to finish your overland track experience. Alternatively, you could even walk (or catch the ferry) to Narcissus from Cynthia Bay, stay a night and walk back. Be warned, there is a really annoying mouse in the hut (at least there was the night I stayed there…)

About Luke

Luke O’Brien runs a stall at Hobart's popular Salamanca Market every Saturday where his prints and cards are available for purchase. Follow Luke's photographic adventures on Twitter at @lukeobrienphoto, at his Facebook page or by subscribing to his email newsletter.